The proposed conference will bring together scholars from the United States, China, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Inida, Japan, Thailand and representatives of selected international organizations. The conference will focus on the relationships between population planning, long-term demographic change, the family, and collective mechanisms for providing social, economic, and health support in old age. Given the rapid demographic transition projected for countries like China and Japan, there is a need to exchange information on the relevant experiences in developed countries regarding alternative mechanisms and programs for providing support in old age and the perceived needs and issues in various developing countries with regard to this phenomenon. The Gerontological Society of America and the National Committee on Aging of China have agreed to jointly sponsor a small, working conference in Beijing early in 1986. The goal of this conference is to assist in the progress of research in this area, to promote scholarly exchange and collaboration, and to exchange available scientific information.